Creating an open floor plan is a good way to increase the size of your living room – or at least that’s how it will seem!

Without the dividing walls, the entire area will feel more spacious. Depending on the layout of your living room, transitioning it into a living room with open floor plan can sometimes need wall removal or major construction. In these two cases, it is advised that you consult with a construction expert to prevent potential issues, but in this article, we will focus on wall removal, as it’s a common step in increasing the size of a living space.

Many homeowners have a desire to connect their dining room areas with their kitchen, or their dining room with their living area. By connecting two areas, the entire space will seem larger. A connected dining room with a kitchen makes entertaining very easy. When the spaces are undivided, guests may actually feel more at ease to mingle with you as you cook in the kitchen, thus creating a sociable and a friendlier environment. In most cases, it is vital to demolish the wall in order to achieve this goal. Before trying to knock down a wall, it is important that you consult with a building expert. If you knock down a weight-bearing wall yourself, you might create a potentially hazardous situation!

If the wall isn’t an integral part of your home’s support system, then removing it could be a viable option. In some cases, an experienced builder may need to install a supporting beam, thus making it possible to remove the wall if desired. That said, removing only the upper portion of the wall is the preferred approach. For example, you could visually connect the rooms by removing the upper walls, allowing you to see and talk between the two rooms. However, since the bottom of the wall remains intact, you would be able to utilise it for cabinets and other furniture pieces.